Lok Sabha polls: Fourth phase records estimated voter turnout of 67.7%, says ECI
Though the figure improved compared to previous polling stages, the number of citizens stepping out to vote remained lower than in the 2019 general election.
The fourth phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections saw an estimated voter turnout of 67.71%, according to figures updated by the Election Commission at 10:00 am on Tuesday. Polls were held a day earlier in 96 parliamentary constituencies across 10 states and four Union territories.
The final voter turnout figures are yet to be released by the poll panel. Phase four of the 2019 general election had seen a final voter turnout of 68.8%.
The voter turnout during the first three phases of the Lok Sabha polls – estimated at 66.14% in the first phase, 66.71% in the second phase and 65.68% in the third phase – was lower than in the first three phases of the 2019 general election.
West Bengal, where polling was held on eight seats, recorded the highest voter turnout of 78.44% on Monday.
Jammu and Kashmir, where polling took place for the single seat of Srinagar, recorded the lowest turnout on Monday at 37.98%. However, this was significantly higher than the 14.39% turnout that the seat recorded in 2019 and was the highest turnout for the seat since 1996.
Srinagar had recorded polling percentages of 30.06% in 1998, 11.93% in 1999, 18.57% in 2004, 25.55% in 2009 and 25.86% in 2014. This is the first Lok Sabha election in Jammu and Kashmir since Article 370 was abrogated and the erstwhile state was split into two Union territories.
The 25 seats in Andhra Pradesh saw a turnout of 78.25%, while in Bihar, the turnout on five seats was 57.06%. The four seats in Jharkhand polled 65.31%, while Madhya Pradesh’s eight seats polled 70.98%. In Maharashtra, the turnout on 11 seats was 59.64%, while four seats in Odisha recorded a turnout of 73.97%. Telangana recorded a turnout of 64.93% on its 17 seats and Uttar Pradesh’s 13 seats recorded a turnout of 58.05%.
The Election Commission of India said that polling was conducted peacefully.
The poll body said that the final turnout figures will be updated by field-level officers and be made public on its Voter Turnout App.
Polling has been completed for 70% percent of the country’s 543 Lok Sabha seats, across 23 states and Union territories. The next phase of the election will be held on May 20.